Hand breading apparatus
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to apparatus for the preparation of breaded food products and more particularly to a new and improved manual apparatus for breading such products. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     In a variety of restaurant operations foods such as chicken parts, shrimp, fish and vegetables to be deep fried are breaded by hand dredging in a spiced flour mixture, immersion in an appropriate batter and dredging a second time in the flour mixture. Aside from being a labor intensive operation, it has been difficult to produce a uniform breading thickness and results in an inordinately high use of flour in part due to an accumulation of doughballs in the flour mixture. Further flour dust can produce damage to other kitchen equipment such as compressors and fans. 
     Some prior art devices have involved certain motor driven elements in attempts to improve one or more aspects of the breading operation. Among these are U.S. Pat. No. 3,910,227 which issued on Oct. 7, 1975 and discloses a power driven sifter. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,469,561 and 3,855,965 which issued on Sept. 30, 1969 and Dec. 24, 1974 respectively describe tumbling type breading devices. None of these prior art breading apparatus have been found to resolve the prior problems in a fashion which is economical for an individual restaurant operation. 
     OBJECTIVES AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     From the preceding discussion it will be understood that among the various objectives of the present invention are included the following: 
     the provision of a new and improved hand breading apparatus; 
     the provision of an apparatus of the above-described character with an improved sifting feature for improved distribution of the flour mixture on the food pieces; and 
     the provision of an apparatus of the above-described character which removes doughballs from the breaded food pieces. 
     These and other objectives of the present invention are efficiently achieved by providing an elongate support table with removable pans for the flour mixture and the batter. A pivotally mounted sifter basket is translatable over the length of the table in alignment with the batter and flour pans. A rack for supporting fry baskets is disposed at the end of the table adjacent the flour pan with a removable doughball trough interposed therebetween. The food product is dredged in the flour mixture and placed in the sifter basket where excess flour is removed by manual oscillation of the basket. The floured product is then discharged into the batter pan and then returned to the flour pan for final breading The breaded product is returned to the sifter basket to remove excess reusable flour. The product is then discharged into a fry basket while any doughballs are caught in the trough. 
     The foregoing as well as other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the various views of the appended drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an elevation view of a breading apparatus in accordance with the principles of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a longitudinal cross-section view of the apparatus of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a transverse cross-section view of the apparatus of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 4 is a top elevation view of the sifter basket 26 of FIGS. 1 and 2 wherein elements common to those illustrated in said FIGS. 1 and 2 are identified by like reference characters; and 
     FIG. 5 is a cross-section view of the batter basket 36 of FIG. 1. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     With reference now to FIG. 1 there is illustrated in an elevation view a breading apparatus including an elongate support table 10 having a plurality of legs 12 each provided with a caster 14. The rear of the table 10 is provided with a vertical support member 16 for a longitudinally translatable carriage assembly 18. A sifter basket 20 is pivotally mounted to the carriage assembly 18 by a shaft 22 and retained in place by a spring loaded yoke 24. The sifter basket 20 is provided with a handle 26 by which the basket may be manually rocked back and forth in rotation about the shaft 22. 
     The table 10 is provided with removable pans 28 for a flour mixture and 30 for a batter mixture. At the end of the table 10 nearest the flour pan 28 a fry basket rack 32 for holding a plurality of deep fryer baskets (not shown) is provided. A removable doughball trough 34 is disposed at the end of the table 10 adjacent the fry basket rack 32. 
     The batter pan 30 has a batter basket 36 attached by hinges 38 to the edge adjacent the flour pan 28 whereby the basket 36 may be raised and rotated such as to transfer the battered food product into the flour pan 28 for final breading while allowing excess batter to drain back into the batter pan 30. 
     FIG. 2 is a transverse cross-section or end view of the apparatus of FIG. 1 wherein elements common to those illustrated in FIG. 1 are identified by like reference characters. The vertical support member 16 at the rear of the table 10 has two longitudinal rails 40 on which the sifter basket carriage assembly 18 is supported for linear translation in bearings 42. 
     The operation of the breading apparatus of the present invention may best be understood with reference to FIG. 3. A fry basket 42 having a quantity of food product such as chicken parts is removed from the fry basket rack 32 and the contents dumped into the flour mixture in pan 28. The product is manually dredged in the flour mixture and removed to the sifter basket 20. While above the pan 28 the sifter basket 20 is rocked back and forth to tumble the product, distributing the flour and removing the excess which falls back into the pan 28 to be reused. The sifter basket 20 is then moved into position above and the contents dumped into the batter basket 36 in pan 30 The sifter basket 20 is moved out of the way and the batter basket 36 is lifted by handle 37 and rotated such as to transfer the battered product back to the flour pan 28. The product is again hand dredged in the flour mixture and returned to the sifter basket 20. The product is again tumbled to remove excess flour. The sifter basket 20 is then moved to the end of the table 10 and the contents dumped back into the fry basket 42. 
     In the breading process a certain amount of the flour mixture will form into doughballs and be retained in the sifter basket 20. When the product is dumped back into the fry basket 42 any doughballs are also dumped through a chute 44 at the lower portion of the sifter basket 20 into the doughball trough 34 for later disposal. 
     FIG. 4 is an illustration of the sifter basket 20 of FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. The sifter basket 20 has a screen mesh lower surface 48 of a screen size which allows reusable flour mixture to be returned to the flour pan but retains doughballs which are formed when the flour mixture combines with excess batter. The chute 44 allows the doughballs to exit the sifter basket 20 as the breaded product is dumped into the fry basket. An accumulation of doughballs in the reusable flour mixture is thus effectively prevented. 
     FIG. 5 illustrates in more detail the batter basket 36 of FIG. 1. A mounting bracket 50 is adapted to fit between the flour pan 28 and the batter pan 30 and has two (only one shown) upstanding tabs 52 each with a hole 54 therethrough. The batter basket 36 is provided with two (only one shown) pins 56 extending outwardly and then longitudinally which are adapted to engage the holes 54 in tabs 52 to provide a hinged mounting for the batter basket 36. Once the product has been coated with batter, the batter basket 36 is rotated up and out of the batter, allowing most of the excess batter to drain back into the batter pan 30, and the product returned to the flour pan 28. 
     From the foregoing it will be understood that the applicant has provided a new and improved hand breading apparatus wherein the objectives set forth hereinabove are efficiently achieved. Since certain changes in the above-described construction will occur to those skilled in the art without departure from the scope of the invention it is intended that all matter set forth in the above description or shown in the appended drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.